Trick toy.



, PAT-ENTED APR. 18, 1905.

T. W. MUGRATH.

TRIGK TOY APPLECATIQN FLLBD MAY 19, 1904.

UNITED STATES Patented Aprii 1e, 1905.

PATENT OEEICE.

TIMOTHY W. MCGRATH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE SCIEN- TIFIC TOY COMPANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT,

OF CONNECTICUT.

A CORPORATION TRICK TOYl SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,535, dated April 18, 1905.

Application filed May 19, 1904. Serial No. 208,740.

T0 @ZZ whom, it mary concern:

Be it known that I, TIMOTHY W. MCGRATH, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of 'New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trick Toys; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a trick toy whereby a coin or other similar article may be caused to disappear from View, thus producing considerable amusement and interest to Vobservers, as well as perplexity in trying to arrive at a proper solution of the mystery attending the disappearance.

The object of the invention is to provide a trick toy or device of this kind which is simple of construction, inexpensive of production, and effective for its intended purpose.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a top plan view of a trick toy embodying the invention, showing the parts disposed Within their containing box or case. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are perspective views of the operative elements of the toy. Fig. 6 is a view showing the disposition of the parts at a certain stage in performing the trick. Figs. 7 and 8 are sectional views of the ring and cover or mystifying element, showing a modification.'

Referring to the drawings, l denotes the inclosing box or casing adapted to contain the operating parts of the toy. The toy proper comprises in its construction three elementsnamely, a ring 2, a block or cover 3, adapted to fit down thereon and close the upper open side thereof, and a cup 4, adapted to receive and cover said block 3.

The ring 2 may be of any suitable form and construction and in the embodiment of `the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, is provided upon one side thereof with a coinshielding-disk or diaphragm 5, which may be made of paper or any other suitable material. The ring is designed to be placed' in practice upon a surface matching in appearance and color the said diaphragm or disk, so that the ring will appear to rest directly upon said surface, as hereinafter described.

The block 3, hereinafter termed a cover or mystifying element, is adapted to be employed to rest upon the upper side of the ring and cover and conceal the opening thereinduring the exhibition of causing the coin or other object to disappear. consists, as shown, of a solid block provided at its lower peripheral edge with a recess forming a shoulder 6, adapted to receive the upper portion of the upper side of the ring, thus adapting the coverl to t snugly down upon said ring and to be held thereon from disengagement. The under side of the cover is provided with a coin pocket or recess 7 of a size to receive a coin or other article of a prescribed size or denomination and utilized in carrying out the trick as the element caused to mysteriously disappear from View. This pocket is adapted to lightly retain a coin,so that it may be readily removed therefrom when required, and in the form of the invention shown in Figs. l to 6, inclusive, is employed only for delusive purposes-that is, to convey the idea that the said pocket is intended to pick up the coin apparently contained within the ring. The shoulder 6, in addition to retaining the cover in place upon the ring, is designed to serve as a striking-surface.

The element 4 comprises a head 9, having a depending iange 10 of a size and depth to snugly cover the block 3 to a. point approximately in line with the upper surface of the shoulder 6, and thereby forms a cup employed to conceal the body of the block or cover 3 in the performance of the trick. The cover 3 is provided with a knob or boss l0, adapted to be received in an opening l1 in the head 9 of the cup 4 and to be engaged by a thumb and finger to enable these parts to be conveniently manipulated. The head 9 projects beyond the flange 10 toform a rim 11a to rest upon the upper edgev of the side wall of the box or case l, and thus forms acover to close the case.

In performing the trick care is taken to con- It preferably ceal thefact that the ring 2 is provided with the E disk or diaphragm 5, and in beginning the eX- hibition the block-or cover 3 is first exhibited and attention called to the fact that the same is provided with'the pocket 7, which has the appearance of being adapted to receive a coin which fits so lightly within said pocket that it may be released therefrom if the cover 3 is struck down on the ring. This is intended to increase the perplexity of the observers in afterward determining where the coin is concealed by leaving them to infer that the coin may be picked up by the pocket 7 when the cover 3 is pressed down or struck against the ring 2. A sheet of paper or other suitable material 12, matching in appearance and color the disk or diaphragm 5, is placed in position for use, the coin or other article which is to be caused to disappear laid thereon, and the three elements 2, 3, and 4 removed in a group from the box or casing 1 and placed down over the coin, the cover 3 and cup 4 at the same time being given a slight independent movement and brought into forcible contact with the ring 2 to delude the beholders into believing that the parts are being manipulated to cause the coin to be taken up within the pocket 7. The cup 4 and cover 3 are then lifted separately from the ring and placed upon the paper l2 in close proximity to the ring 2. The observers are then invited to state the location of the coin. Owing to the fact that the coin is concealed by the disk or diaphragm 5, which latter matches in appearance and color the sheet of paper or other material on which the ring is placed, the observers'are led to believe that the coin is concealed by the element 3 or the element 4, as the ring 2 apparently rests directly upon said paper or surface, the disk or diaphragm 5 appearing to be a part thereof and the ring to be entirely open. In a majority of cases vthe answer will be that the coin is beneath the element 3 and retained within the pocket 7, owing to the prevailing impression that in the operation of the parts before described the coin was picked up and retained within the pocket. The exhibitor may then, however, pick up the element 3 and show that the coin is not held within the pocket 7 and may cause the coin to again appear by'placing the parts 3 and 4 in position upon the ring 2 and lifting said parts and the ring together, thus again exposing the coin. Of course in all of these operations the fact that the ring is provided with a diaphragm is studiously concealed, and none of the observers is allowed to handle any of the parts of the toy, and the simple expedient of providing the ring with the disk or diaphragm 5 enables the operation of causing the coin to disappear to be carried out in a majority of cases without detection and with great interest and amusement to the onlookers, who are unable to arrive at the solution of the trick.

It will of course be understood that the element 4 is not essential and may be dispensed with, as the trick may be performed by the use simply of the two elements 2 and 3. The element 4 is, however, preferably employed as being conducive to greater mystification in the performance of the trick.

The trick may be made more deceptive and ring 2 is entirely open-that is to say, is a simple ring unprovided with a disk or diaphragm -while the cover element 3a is provided with suitable means for holding or picking up the coin, the same consisting in the present instance of wax or other suitable adhesive material 13, filling a chamber. or recess in the under side of said element 3". In the performance of the trick with this modified construction of the toy the coin will be actually taken up by the cover 3a, thus mystifying those familiar with the operation of the covered ring and supposing the coin to be concealed beneath the disk or diaphragm of such a ring.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and mode of operation of my improved trick toy will be readily understood, and it will be seen that the invention provides a trick device which will afford interest and amusement and which in the preferred form of the invention operates on the principle of optical delusion in ca'using the disk or diaphragm 5 to appear as part of the surface on which the ring is laid, thus causing the per sons before Whom the trick is done to believe that the ring is entirely open. Of course the construction may be varied in minor particulars from the construction herein shown, as in the preferred form of the invention the pocket or recess 7 may be dispensed with, if desired, as the trick may be performed without the same, such pocket or recess being.

IOO

simply used to enhance the mystery attend- 10 coin-holder and a shoulder to engage the ring,

and a cup to inolose said cover, substantially y as described. f

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

TIMOTHY W. MGGRATH.

Witnesses:

LEROY A. BUCKINGHAM, ALETHA B. STEBBINS. 

